How to Enable WP Debug Mode

WP debug mode helps you identify issues inside your WordPress site by showing hidden errors, warnings, and PHP notices. Whether a plugin misbehaves, a theme update breaks your layout, or something suddenly stops loading. Enabling WP debug mode makes troubleshooting much easier.  

In this guide, you will learn two ways to enable debugging with a plugin and without a plugin along with best practices and log file access. 

 

What is WP Debug Mode and Why It’s Useful?

WP debug mode tells WordPress to stop hiding errors and instead show or store them. It is helpful when:

• Your site shows a white screen.
• Plugins or themes conflict.
• You encounter the message: “There has been a critical error.”
• You need a clean error log for support teams.
• Page load speed drops suddenly.

When debug mode is active, WordPress logs every warning, so you know exactly what needs to be fixed. 

 

How to Enable Wordpress Debug Mode

 

Method 1: Enable WP Debug Mode Without a Plugin (Using wp-config.php)

 

1: Open wp-config.php

1. Open your WordPress root folder (public_html).
   
2. Access it using: 
   1. cPanel File Manager
   2. FTP/SFTP
   3. SSH (advanced users)
3. Find and open the wp-config.php file. 

   

 

2: Turn On Debug Mode 

1. Find this line: 
   define(‘WP_DEBUG’, false); 

   

2. Replace it with: 
   define(‘WP_DEBUG’, true);

 

3: Enable Debug Logging (Recommended for Live Sites) 

1. Add these lines above: 
   /* That’s all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */ 
2. Add: 
   define(‘WP_DEBUG’, true); 
   define(‘WP_DEBUG_LOG’, true); 
   define(‘WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY’, false); 

   

3. Error logs will be stored in: 
   /wp-content/debug.log 

 

Method 2: Enable WP Debug Mode Using a Plugin (WP Debugging Plugin)

 

1: Install the WordPress Debug Plugin 

1. Log in to your WordPress admin. 

   

2. Go to Plugins >> Add New. 

   

3. Search for WP Debugging.
   
4. Install and activate the plugin. 

   

5. The plugin automatically updates your wp-config.php safely. 

 

2: Enable Debugging 

1. After activation, the plugin automatically sets: 
   WP_DEBUG = true 
   WP_DEBUG_LOG = true 
   WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY = false
2. No manual file editing is required. 

 

3: Check the Debug Logs

1. Log file location: 
   wp-content/debug.log 
2. You can view it through: 
   1. cPanel File Manager
   2. FTP
   3. Log viewer plugin (optional)

 

4: Disable Debug Mode

1. Go to Tools >> WP Debugging. 

   

2. Turn off the debugging options. 

   

3. Deactivate and delete the plugin if not needed.
4. This safely resets the debug settings. 

 

When to Choose Plugin vs Manual Method 

Scenario	Best Method
You’re new to WordPress	Plugin
You want complete control over debugging	Manual method
You’re troubleshooting a broken site (wp-admin not loading)	Manual method
You want quick logs without editing files	Plugin
Hosting panel blocks direct file editing	Plugin

 

How to Disable WP Debug Mode After Troubleshooting

Whether you enable it manually or via plugin, always turn it off later. 

 

If you used wp-config.php: 

define(‘WP_DEBUG’, false); 
define(‘WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY’, false); 
define(‘WP_DEBUG_LOG’, false);

 

If you used WP Debugging plugin: 

• Go to Tools >> WP Debugging
• Uncheck all options
• Deactivate or delete plugin

 

Recommended Reference Links 

• Official WordPress wp-config.php documentation 
• PHP error logging documentation (PHP Manual) 

 

Best Practices 

• Don’t keep debug mode active permanently.
• Avoid displaying errors on live websites.
• Always maintain a backup before editing wp-config.php.
• Additionally, Use debug logs instead of showing errors to visitors.
• Share your debug.log with bodHOST support for faster troubleshooting.

 

Conclusion 

WP debug mode is one of the simplest and most effective tools for troubleshooting WordPress errors. Additionally, you can use either the WordPress Debugging plugin or the manual wp-config method to identify the root cause of issues. Likewise, when you enable debug mode responsibly and follow best practices, you can resolve problems quickly and keep your website safe.

If you are using Bodhost, our team is always available to check your debug logs and help you fix any errors.

You can also, check out the latest guide on: How to Access and Monitor WordPress Error Logs